Strange Ties
by Ghostwriter
Summary: When Rory is attacked and raped, Dean and the Chilton gang put aside their differences to help her cope.
1. Attack

STRANGE TIES

AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER

Gilmore Girls belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino, the WB, and the CW. Takes place during "The Breakup Part II" right after Paris leaves and Summer breaks up with Tristin and in lieu of Lane's freak out about Henry. This is an idea I had of what could make Dean and Tristin become allies. POVs may change during the story and I'll eventually be putting in time jumps, so I apologize in advance for any confusion.

CHAPTER ONE

Rory walked into the piano room and sat on the bench. She couldn't believe she had just seen Tristin get dumped in front of everybody. It seemed to be the week for breakups. First Dean broke up with her, and now Tristin was having the bad luck. An image of Dean's face swam before the girl's eyes and she started to cry. She couldn't believe it. How could he dump her on their three month anniversary? So she hadn't been ready to say 'I love you'. That was cause for a break up? She was so upset that she didn't even realize it when someone walked in. Meanwhile, Tristin tried once more to talk to Summer. However, he stopped when the girl grabbed the nearest boy and kissed him---hard. His face gave a twisted grimace of pain.

"Fine," he said softly. If that was the way she wanted it; that was just fine. Then, he walked away. He---he couldn't handle this. He just---he just had to get away. Suddenly, he became aware of a girl's voice. His brows furrowed in confusion. What was going on? He stepped closer and the voice became louder and clearer.

"No. Don't," a girl sobbed. Tristin's eyes widened. It was Rory! He pushed through the curtain to the piano room, rushed towards the bench, and yanked the boy away. Rory sat back up and clutched at her dress, which had been ripped.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?" he yelled.

"Just havin' a little fun," the other boy slurred.

"Get out of here, you piece of trash," Tristin snarled, tossing him across the room. The boy stumbled once, and then left. Tristin instantly went back to Rory.

"Rory?" he queried softly.

"Dean. I want Dean," she stated. _Okay, that makes sense. She was just attacked. Of course she wants her boyfriend_, he thought to himself.

"Dean. Dean. Get Dean," Rory insisted.

"Oh, man. I gotta call the cops," Tristin stated.

"No. No, just get Dean," Rory insisted.

"All right. I'll call him on the way," Tristin promised aloud.

"On the way to where?" Rory asked.

"The hospital." With a distressed whimper, Rory tried to back away, but Tristin stopped her.

"Ror---I know you don't want anyone knowing, but you have to get checked out. Why don't we get your friend and I'll call Bag---Dean?" he suggested. Sniffling, Rory finally consented and let Tristin lead her out of the room. Back on the dance floor, Henry glanced towards the back of the room.

"Hey, what's wrong with your friend?" he asked.

"What?" Lane turned around. To her surprise, Rory was crying and that Chilton guy had his arms around her. From the way they were acting, Lane deduced that whatever happened hadn't been his fault.

"Excuse me. I have to go check this out."

"Yeah, of course." With that, Lane ran to them.

"Rory, what's wrong?" she asked. She looked to the blonde-haired boy. "What happened?"

"I walked in on some guy raping her."

"WHAT?" Lane asked a bit louder than she had intended.

"Dean. I want Dean," Rory insisted.

"That's all she's been saying," the boy commented. "Look, she said not to call the cops, but we gotta get her to a hospital, and I don't have Dean's number."

"I'm coming with. Give me your phone and I'll call." He did so and she began dialing as the three hurried away. Henry came up to them.

"What's going---"

"We'll talk later. Call me." Lane hurriedly gave out her number and the three walked out. Tristin ushered the two into his car as Lane waited impatiently as the phone rang.

"Hello?" she finally heard Dean's confused voice.

"Dean, it's Lane."

"Lane, what's wrong?"

"Rory was attacked."

"WHAT? WHERE IS SHE? WHAT HOSPITAL?" Lane looked at Tristin.

"Hartford Memorial's the closet," Tristin responded and Lane relayed the information.

"Okay. I'll be there soon. I'll call Lorelai." Before Lane could answer, a dial tone reached her ears. Within minutes, they were at the hospital and the two rushed their friend in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What's your hurry?" a nurse questioned, intercepting them.

"She was just raped. Please. Help her," Tristin answered.

"All right. We'll get her into examination. Have you called her parents?" the nurse questioned.

"I told her boyfriend and told him what happened. He said he'd call her mother," Lane answered.

"All right. We'll take care of her. Please wait in the hall." Tristin and Lane hesitated. They didn't want to leave Rory. As if sensing that her friends were about to leave, Rory quickly grabbed them. The nurse's heart broke. The poor girl. She seemed to be about sixteen. She couldn't even fathom how the mother would be feeling when she found out.

"All right. This is highly irregular, but you two can come with." With that, they rushed to her a room as the nurse quickly told a coworker to phone the police. Back in Stars Hollow, Dean had just rushed to Luke's Diner.

"Whoa. What's wrong?" Luke questioned.

"Rory," Dean answered.

"Rory? What about Rory?" Lorelai queried, tensing.

"Lane said she was attacked and that she was being taken to Hartford Memorial," Dean answered.

"What? Oh, my---" Lorelai began to say.

"I'll drive. Come on," Luke interrupted. "Caesar! You're in charge!" Then, the three rushed out and squeezed themselves into Luke's truck.

"Dean, did Lane say anything else?" Luke barked.

"No. Just that---she was attacked. She---she sounded really upset," Dean answered, ignoring the gruff tone. He knew Luke wasn't mad at him, just worried about Rory.

"Luke, can't the truck go any faster?" Lorelai asked.

"She'll be okay. Lane's with her," Dean comforted, putting a hand on Lorelai's wrist. After what seemed like an eternity, they were at the hospital. Luke screeched to a stop and they all ran in and up to the front desk.

"My daughter---she was just brought in," Lorelai panted.

"Name?" the receptionist asked.

"Rory Gilmore," Dean responded.

"Let me check," the receptionist stated, and did so.

"Lorelai!" Hearing Lane's voice, they all turned around and rushed to where the girl was.

"Lane. What---what happened?" Lorelai asked, as she and Tristin walked up.

"What are **you** doing here?" Dean wondered, trying not to be jealous. This wasn't the time. All that mattered right now was Rory.

"He gave us a ride," Lane answered.

"What happened?" Lorelai questioned again.

"We were at the party, and I was lookin' for a place to sulk 'cause Summer had just dumped me. Then I heard Rory---and---" Tristin's voice shook and he clenched his fist. Dean stared the Chiltonite in shock. Yeah, he hadn't interacted with the guy much, but he was pretty sure that this wasn't his normal behavior.

"Son, what happened?" Luke questioned gruffly, yet in a gentle tone. Tristin just looked at them with pain-filled eyes. Then, a nurse came out.

"Are you here for Rory Gilmore?" she questioned.

"Yes. I'm her mother," Lorelai confirmed.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news, Mrs. Gilmore," the nurse said.

"What's wrong?" Lorelai questioned.

"She was attacked. Lane said she was attacked," Dean said at the same time. The nurse hesitated. How could she do this delicately? Lorelai inwardly fumed at the pause.

"What's wrong with my kid?" the woman demanded.

"Mrs. Gilmore…your daughter was raped," the nurse said.


	2. Bad News

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino, the WB, and CW. I only own the plot. Once again, POVs will vary throughout the story.

"What?" Lorelai asked faintly, not even registering the nurse's mistake in her name. _Raped? Rory was raped?_ she wondered. She heard the nurse say something, but she wasn't sure what. She couldn't even comprehend what was happening. How could Rory have been raped? Who would hurt her like this? How was she supposed to help her daughter through something she had no experience with?

"I'm afraid you heard me correctly. Now we've already notified the police, who should be here shortly. She'll have to tell them what happened," the nurse answered. Dean could hear the doctor speaking, but couldn't make out the words. Raped? His girlfriend had been raped? _Who would do something like that to her?_ he wondered to himself. Suddenly, a door opened and they all turned. Rory came out.

"Dean," she said in relief, and quickly ran to him.

"Hey, it's okay. I got you," he assured, beginning to hug her. However, he stopped, not wanting to upset her even further.

"Hold me. Please hold me," she begged. _I just want him to touch me. I need his touch_, she thought to herself. He gently put his arms around her. The nurse pulled Luke and Lorelai to the side.

"We gave her the morning after pill to ward off pregnancy, but there is a chance that she could---" she began.

"We understand," Lorelai said quickly.

"Your daughter's very lucky to have such good friends that take care of her," the nurse commented.

"Yeah, she is," Luke agreed, not bothering to correct the nurse. Then, "Is there anything we should be aware of? Night terrors, changes in attitude?"

"It's a possibility. She also may deny that it happened or she may not want to be touched---rape victims rarely do after an attack. The fact that she's letting her boyfriend hug her is actually quite surprising," the nurse stated.

"You mentioned a chance of pregnancy. How soon would we know if that was the result?" Luke wondered.

"Approximately three weeks," the nurse answered.

"What should we do in the meantime?" Lorelai questioned.

"Just be patient with her. Hopefully, the only thing you'll have to deal with is just her coming to terms with the rape," the nurse responded.

"Well, we'll just take it one step at a time," Lorelai determined. She was about to say more when Rory came up to them, Dean, Lane, and Tristin close behind.

"Mommy, I want to go home," she said.

"Oh, sweets, you can't go home just yet. You need to talk to the police," her mother stated.

"But after?" the girl persisted.

"Of course," the woman promised.

"I'll take care of the checkout and payment now so that you can just go as soon as she's done," Luke promised.

"Oh, you don't have---" Lorelai began to say.

"I want to," Luke firmly interrupted.

"Thank you," Lorelai said. Then, they all headed out. All of a sudden, Lane's phone rang.

"Oh, my mother!" Lane realized and answered the phone. "Mama?" she checked.

"Lane, it's late. Where are you?" Mrs. Kim questioned.

"I'm at the hospital, Mama," Lane said.

"The hospital. Why are you at the hospital? Are you sick? Hurt?" Mrs. Kim asked quickly.

"No Mama, I'm fine," Lane assured.

"If you are not sick or hurt, why are you at the hospital?" Mrs. Kim demanded.

"It's Rory, Mama. She was raped," Lane answered.

"Raped?" Mrs. Kim repeated.

"Yes, Mama," Lane confirmed. "I'm sorry for not calling you, but we were in a hurry and---" she started to say.

"No apology needed. Rory was in trouble and you had to get her help. You're doing the Christian thing. Stay with her as long as you need," Mrs. Kim interrupted. Then, she hung up without giving her daughter a chance to respond.

"Okay then," the girl said in surprise. Then, two officers came and Rory, Tristin, and Lorelai followed them to a secluded corner, where Rory told them what happened, including what the boy looked like.

"And how do **you** figure into this? Are you her boyfriend?" the officer questioned.

"I wish, but…no. I heard her crying and went to investigate," Tristin answered.

"Miss Gilmore, did you recognize the boy who raped you?" the officer asked, glancing quickly at the sheets to get their names.

"Other than seeing him at Chilton, no. I've only been going there a few months and I tend to keep to myself," Rory said with a shake of her head.

"And you, uh, Mr.?" the officer prompted, starting to scan the sheet.

"DuGray," Tristan supplied. "And uh---he looked **vaguely** familiar---I've probably said 'hi' to him, but no. I don't know him," Tristin responded. After a few more questions, they were done.

"Mommy, can we go home now?" Rory questioned.

"Of course, honey," Lorelai answered.

"Come on," Tristin said gently, as he led her back to Dean and Lane. Then, they headed out. Back at home, Rory just went to bed without a word.

"Oh, Luke. I don't know what to do," Lorelai said emotionally.

"Lor, I wish I knew what to say, but I can't---" Luke began, but his voice trailed off. What could he say? Nothing would be comforting right now.

"She was raped, Luke. My little girl was raped," Lorelai said. She started to cry and Luke wrapped her in a hug. He didn't say anything, just held her. The next morning, Lorelai woke up early and began making breakfast. Rory came into the kitchen, dressed in her Chilton uniform, carrying her backpack.

"Good morning," the older woman greeted.

"Morning," the girl replied.

"Hey, are you sure you want to go to school this morning? Because I can---" Lorelai

"No! I---I wanna go. I just wanna be normal," Rory interrupted.

"All right. Would you like me to drive you?" Lorelai offered. Rory shook her head.

"I'll just take the bus," she answered.

"Call me if you need me."

"I will." Then, the girl left. When she got on the bus, to her surprise, Dean was already there.

"What are **you** doing here?" she wondered. "I---I didn't mean---"

"I didn't think you should be alone."

"Thanks." She sat down next to him and leaned into him. Dean glanced down at her, but didn't put his arms around her. He didn't want to spook her after everything that had happened. He wasn't sure why she was still so comfortable with him, but he wasn't going to complain. When the bus stopped again, Rory straightened.

"You should go."

"Are---you sure?" His girlfriend nodded.

"Okay. Call me if you need me."

"I will." Dean got off the bus and Rory was silent as the vehicle continued to Hartford. When the bus reached her stop, she got out and walked up the steps to Chilton and to her locker where she immediately began spinning her combination.

"Hey." She jumped and turned to see Tristin.

"Sorry! Sorry," he apologized.

"It's okay. I shouldn't be so jumpy," she responded.

"How you holdin' up?" he questioned.

"I'm hangin' in there. I mean, we'll just chalk it up to a bad night---a **really** bad night," she commented, trying to sound casual.

"Rory," Tristin said seriously.

"I'm scared, Tristin," Rory admitted with a sigh. "I know they gave me the pill, but you heard the doctor. There's a chance that I could get pregnant. What if that happens? What if three weeks from now we out that---" her voice trailed off.

"**If** it happens---if you **do** get pregnant---I'll be right here with you. And so will String Bean, if I have him pegged correctly," he assured her.

"His name is Dean," she corrected with some fire in her voice and a small smile on her face.

"Now **there**'**s** the Gilmore grin," he pointed out. What they didn't know was that Paris was watching them. Presently, Madeline and Louise came up beside her.

"What's **that** about?" Madeline wondered.

"I have no idea," Paris stated dourly.

"Hmm. Do I detect a hint of jealousy in your voice?" Madeline teased.

"Oh, shut up," Paris barked. Meanwhile, Lorelai had left shortly after Rory. However, instead of going to the inn, she headed for Hartford. When she got to where she was going, she stopped the engine and stepped into the house. Inside, Richard and Emily were getting ready to leave when they heard the door opening.

"Now, who can that be?" Emily wondered.

"I don't know," Richard responded as they came downstairs. To their surprise, Lorelai was standing in the doorway.

"Lorelai, what are you doing here?" Emily asked in surprise.

"Mommy…Daddy…" her voice cracked.

"My word. You sound horrible," Emily gasped. Her confusion mounted when she saw the shine in her daughter's eyes. "Have you been crying?" she continued, concern lacing her voice.

"What's wrong?" Richard questioned as they came up to her.

"Rory," Lorelai choked out.

"What about Rory? Is she sick? Hurt?" Emily asked urgently. It would certainly explain why she was upset, but not why she was here.

"Mommy…Daddy…she was---she---" Lorelai sobbed, sinking to the floor in a heap. Richard and Emily looked at each other in dismay and confusion. They had never seen Lorelai like this before. What had their daughter so upset?

"Lorelai, dear, what's wrong?" Richard questioned, as they kneeled next to her daughter.

"Yes, what happened to Rory?" Emily prompted.

"She was raped," Lorelai revealed. She broke into sobs and her parents gathered her into their arms. They looked at each other, the shock and horror mirrored in the other's faces.


	3. Rumors And Discoveries

DISCLAIMER

Gilmore Girls belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino, the WB, and the CW. I just own the plot. I realize some things move along fairly quickly, but I needed it this way for the story.

After the woman was all cried out, she pulled away slightly.

"Now Lorelai, what exactly happened? When did this occur?" Emily questioned.

"Last night," Lorelai responded, and then proceeded to tell her parents what had happened.

"Oh, my word," Emily gasped.

"It was so awful, Mommy. She just looked so---so---**fragile**," Lorelai said. "And the doctors gave her the morning after pill, but said that was a slight chance that she could still---you know---" her voice trailed off.

"Become pregnant," Richard finished for her.

"Yes," the woman admitted softly.

"Does Rory know the boy?" Richard asked.

"Not other than seeing him at Chilton," Lorelai responded. "I---I just---I don't know how to help. Mommy, Daddy, what do I do?" Richard and Emily looked at each other and had a silent conversation with their eyes.

"I'll go cancel all of our plans for today," Richard stated.

"Good idea," Emily approved. The two helped their daughter up, and as the man went to his study to make his phone calls, the woman led her daughter to the couch. _Oh, my word. What are we supposed to do? I don't know what to do_, the elder woman thought to herself. Lorelai leaned into her mother, drawing comfort from the closeness of the woman. The elder Gilmore awkwardly pulled her daughter closer. She wasn't used to being this touchy-feely with her daughter. However, she sensed that the younger woman needed it. Back at Chilton, Rory was trying to focus on her classes, but failing. She stared at her desk blankly as her teacher, Max Medina, lectured.

"Miss Gilmore, do you know the answer?" he suddenly asked. There was no answer. "Miss Gilmore?" he prompted. Again, she didn't respond. "Rory?" Mr. Medina questioned, walking up to her. "Are you all right?" he continued, putting a hand on her shoulder. To his surprise, she jumped up in her seat and stepped away from him.

"Don't touch me!" she exclaimed. Tristin also jumped from his seat and was quickly at her side.

"It's okay. It's okay, Mare. You're okay," he soothed.

"I'm---I'm sorry. I just---" Rory began to stammer.

"Miss Gilmore, are you all right?" Mr. Medina questioned.

"Can I take her out into the hall?" Tristin requested.

"Yes, of course, Mr. DuGray," Mr. Medina allowed. He led the girl out.

"Hey, you all right?"

"I---I shouldn't have lost it like that."

"Hey, it's cool." Tristin stared at the girl. _Oh, man! If I ever figure out who this kid is…_his thoughts trailed off.

"I'm---I'm okay now. Let's get back to class," she told him.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded and he escorted her back inside. In the following weeks, the Chilton students noticed the unusual closeness of the two, and how when her boyfriend arrived to drop her off and pick her up, there was no longer any animosity, a fact that the whole school loved to theorize about.

"Maybe she's sleeping with both of them," Louise suggested one day. Madeline and Paris just stared at her. "No. No, that's not like her," she continued. A few weeks went by, and nothing more out of the ordinary happened. Then, one morning at the Gilmore house, Rory found herself kneeling over the toilet, heaving her breakfast down its drain.

"Rory, sweetie? Dean's here already and you're going to be late," she heard her mother call.

"I'll be there in a minute," she managed to say right before vomiting again. The door opened to reveal the older woman and her boyfriend.

"Oh, honey," she sympathized, as the two knelt beside her and smoothed back her hair.

"Mommy, I think I need a test," she stated.

"All right," she agreed.

"Do you want me to come with, or would I be intruding?" her boyfriend questioned hesitantly.

"With please," she insisted. He nodded and took her hand.

"Come on, kid. Let's get you checked out." With that, they stood up and walked to Doosey's Market.

"All right. I'll try to make this quick and painless," Lorelai promised.

"Good luck with that in **this** town," Rory said dourly.

"There's Mommy's Quippy Girl," Lorelai approved. Her daughter shot her a look and without another word, she went down the aisles. The woman found the home pregnancy tests, grabbed a handful, and headed for the check out counter.

"Why so many?"

"Sometimes you can get a false negative which means you aren't pregnant, or a false positive which means you are pregnant. This way, we can know for sure. I'll also set you up with a doctor's appointment." At the counter, Lorelai paid for the supplies, ignoring the cashier's look, and quickly walked out. Dean nervously paced back and forth.

"How many did you buy?" he wondered.

"I think she's almost done," was her answer. Finally, the door opened.

"I think I should see a doctor." Once again, the trio left, and Lorelai called up Hartford Memorial and explained the situation, earning them a quick squeeze in. At the hospital, a female doctor ran some tests. After what seemed to be an eternity, the woman came back.

"Miss Gilmore, I'm afraid your suspicions were correct," she told them. Rory began to cry and Dean held her close.

"Thank you," Lorelai said.

"Oh, Rory. I'm so sorry," Dean sighed. _I don't know what to do_, he thought to himself. How did one comfort a girlfriend who ended up pregnant after a rape?

"Would you like some pamphlets?" the doctor offered.

"Yes, please," Lorelai responded. The doctor went out, got the pamphlets, came back, and handed them to the eldest Gilmore.

"I'll leave you three alone." With that, the doctor left.

"Do you want to go home, Sweetie?" Lorelai asked. She shook her head.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I mean, Dean and I have to get to school---"

"I'll ditch today. This is way too important."

"No. No, you shouldn't ditch. And neither should I."

"Are you sure you want to go to school?" Lorelai questioned. Rory nodded.

"All right. We'll take you," the older woman said. With that, they went to the front desk, paid the fee, and then got into Lorelai's jeep and she took them to Chilton.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Dean asked softly as the woman came to a stop in front of the school.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Rory answered.

"And you won't have to worry. We both know Dristin won't let anything happen to you," Dean stated.

"It's **Tristin**," Rory emphasized with a roll of her eyes and flashing him a small smile.

"Ha. Got you smiling," he said.

"Are you guys sure you're not related? 'Cause he did the same thing about four weeks ago," she commented. With that, the girl got out of the car and headed for the entrance. Once the woman was sure her daughter was inside, she took off. In the hallways, Tristin was trying to gather information on Rory's whereabouts.

"Hey Duncan, have you seen---" his question trailed off as he spotted the girl. "Never mind," he said. Then, hurrying towards her, "Mary! Hey, Mary!" Rory walked up to him and shook her head.

"It's 'Rory'," she corrected him.

"Mare, where've you been?" Tristin asked in concern. She just looked at him. "What's wrong?" he asked, tensing up. The next words out of her mouth broke his heart.

"I'm pregnant."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Okay, maybe it's strange that Rory was so adamant about going to school given the fact that she just found out she was pregnant, but I'm trying to keep her in character as well as have her deal with the drama.


	4. Revelation

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino, the WB, and the CW. I only own the plot. Again, POVS may change, so I apologize for any confusion.

"What?" Tristin asked. _No, no, no, no. I couldn't have heard her right_, he thought. The doctors had given ther the morning after pill.

"I'm pregnant," Rory repeated. "Tristin, I'm pregnant," she said. Then, she started to cry and he quickly gathered her into his arms and began to make shushing noises.

"I gotcha, Mare. I gotcha," he assured.

"What am I going to do? I'm only sixteen. That's too young to have a child. I---I can't do this," she sobbed.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. We're all with you. Me, your boyfriend, and your best friend," he reminded her.

"I just keep thinking: maybe if I had done something differently---" Rory began.

"No!" Tristin interrupted. "Don't even go there, Mary. This was **not** your fault," he told her.

"I think you're going to have to add a 'Magdalene' to that," she said with a sad smile. He shook his head.

"No. You're absolutely not a Magdalene. You're still just a Mary," he insisted. _My Mary_, he silently added. Oh, if only he could call her his. However, that honor was for Dean. "Hey, you wanna get outta here?" he offered. She shook her head.

"Let's get to our next class. Maybe if I focus on school I won't be freaking out so much," she answered.

"Okay," he agreed, and they walked to class.

"You're late," Ms. Caldecott scolded.

"Sorry, Ms. Caldecott. We had something to take care of," Tristin responded.

"Is everything okay?" she asked in concern, noting Rory's tear-stained face.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Rory lied. Paris watched as Tristin gently helped the girl to her seat, and then sat in the seat behind her. _What is up with them?_ she wondered. Ms. Caldecott continued her lecture and Rory forced herself to pay attention. Tristin also tried to pay attention, but found his gaze drifting to Rory. Was she really all right? After all, it wasn't every day a sixteen-year old girl found out she was pregnant after being raped.

"Mr. DuGray, is there something fascinating about Ms. Gilmore?" Ms. Caldecott questioned.

"Uh, no. Sorry, Ms Caldecott. I was daydreaming," Tristin responded. The woman seemed surprised at the honest answer, but let it go. Paris saw Rory flash Tristin a small and grateful smile. Her eyes narrowed. She wasn't sure what was going on between them and she wasn't sure she liked it. After class, the students went their separate ways. At lunch, Rory got her food, went to a secluded corner, sat down, pulled out a book, and began reading it. Soon, she was so engrossed in her book, that she didn't even notice when someone walked up to her until they pulled her book down. She looked up to see Paris, Madeline, and Louise.

"Can I help you?" Rory questioned.

"What's going on between you and Tristin?" Paris demanded.

"Hello to you too, Paris," Rory deadpanned.

"For someone you claim to despise, you certainly are chummy with him," Paris continued. "And so is your boyfriend for that matter. So, what are you doing? Just stringing both of them along?" she asked.

"Of course not. Not that it's any of your business," Rory responded.

"Tristin is my friend, so it **is** my business," Paris snapped.

"Paris, will you please just back off?" Rory requested.

"I'll back off just as soon as you tell me why you and Tristin are so buddy-buddy," Paris stated.

"Paris, will you stop bothering her?" Surprised, Paris, Louis, and Madeline turned to see Tristin glaring at them.

"Tristin, I just want to---" Paris started to say.

"You're just being nosy," Tristin interrupted. "Don't you three ever have anything better to do than to poke your noses into other people's business?" he continued. Paris blanched. She couldn't believe Tristin was speaking like this to her. They were friends. They both knew what it was like to have their parents pressure them. And Gilmore had never given him the time of day until recently. So, why was he being so protective of her now?

"Tristin---" Paris started to say.

"Stop being a parasite and leave her alone," Tristin interrupted. A flash of hurt came across Paris' face and Tristin felt a stab of guilt. "I'm sorry, Paris. I didn't mean to be harsh," he apologized. Seeing the sincerity in his face, Paris nodded.

"So, then, what's going on? If something's wrong, we'd like to help," Madeline stated. Surprised, Rory stared at them and then shared a look with Tristin. She nodded, giving her consent. Sure, she and Paris had their differences, but she knew it mostly stemmed from the fact that she liked Tristin in a romantic way even though he didn't feel the same way. Tristin quickly made sure no one was watching and then pulled the girls close.

"Tristin, you're scaring us," Madeline said nervously.

"What's the matter? How bad is it?" Louise added.

"You remember the party a few weeks ago?" Tristin asked. The girls nodded.

"Well, uh---something---something happened to Rory."

"What? What happened to Rory?"

"She was raped." Paris, Louise, and Madeline inhaled sharply.


	5. Banding Together And Arrivals

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino, the WB, and the CW. I only own the plot. Again, POVS may change, so I apologize for any confusion. I'm not sure where Jess was supposed to be from, so I'm just gonna say New York. One scene is inspired by an episode of the first season of the OC as well as piece of dialogue inspired by the One Tree Hill episode "Don't Take Me For Granted".

"Raped? Rory was raped?" Paris asked weakly.

"Oh, my gosh. Who was it? Did you sock him?" Madeline asked.

"Who do we kill?" Louise added at the same time.

"Wow. Threats of bodily harm from the popular kids. This **is** an interesting school," Rory quipped. They chuckled.

"Is there anything you need?" Paris asked.

"This is high school, so people talk. Just help me duck and cover?" Rory queried.

"You got it," the girls promised. Since lunch was just about over, they all headed to their classes. At the end of the day, Rory walked to the bus flanked by Tristin, Paris, Madeline, and Louise. Once she was on, they got into their cars and followed the bus. The bus stopped and they walked to Luke's and to the seat where Dean was waiting.

"Hey," the boy greeted.

"Hey," everyone chorused.

"I see your support network's gotten bigger," Dean commented as everyone sat down.

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing," Rory stated.

"Well, we may fight and compete, but I'd never want something like **this** to happen," Paris commented.

"Yeah, Chiltonites gotta stick together," Madeline added.

"Okay, then. What can I get you guys?" Luke asked.

"Coffee, burger, and fries," Rory answered. Luke wrote down the order.

"How 'bout you guys?" Luke questioned.

"We'll have the same," Tristin answered for the rest.

"Could I get water instead of coffee?" Dean requested.

"Yeah," Luke answered.

"Uh, if it's not too much trouble, lemonade?" Madeline queried.

"No prob," Luke responded.

"I'll have a diet coke," Louise said.

"Coffee's fine for me," Paris stated when the older man looked at her.

"Make hers decaf," Tristin advised.

"You got it," Luke replied. Then, he went to the kitchen to give the orders to Caesar.

"He seems nice. A little gruff, but...nice," Tristin commented.

"Yeah, that's Luke for ya," Rory grinned. At the softening of her tone, the others looked at her.

"This guy's pretty important to you, isn't he?" Tristin realized.

"He's been like a father to me," Rory answered. "Truth is, he's more of a father than my actual father," she continued. From the kitchen, Luke's expression said that he had heard everything. _Wow. I---I didn't know she felt that way about me_, he thought to himself, letting a small and rare smile grace his features. Then, he softly cleared his throat and began to bring out the orders. When he was finished doing that, he went about helping the other customers. Rory, Dean, Paris, Tristin, Madeline, and Louise continued eating. Suddenly, the door burst open and everyone turned around.

"Lane," Rory commented.

"Sorry I'm late. Mama needed help in the shop," Lane apologized breathlessly as she came up to the counter.

"No, it's fine. We just got here," Rory assured.

"I am a horrible best friend. I should've been here as soon as I got off the bus and---"

"Drink, breathe," Rory commanded, thrusting her coffee in her best friend's hands. Lane did as instructed. When she was finally done, she turned to the others.

"Wow. Your support system grew," she commented. Everyone laughed.

"What?" she asked.

"Dean said the same thing," her friend explained. They all chuckled.

"Rory, my mother sends her sympathies and interestingly enough a curse," Lane said.

"A curse?" the others chorused.

"Your mother?" Rory added, incredulously. Mrs. Kim was a strict Christian and was notorious for following God's commands.

"Yeah, I know---it surprised me too. She even started going off in Korean. The gist was, she may not like the way you live but knows that you're a good girl, that you would've never invited him to do what he did, and that the boy who hurt you should have a very important piece of equipment removed in the most painful manner possible," Lane told her.

"Ouch," Dean and Tristin winced.

"That's actually very comforting," Rory admitted. Meanwhile, on a bus that was halfway out of its departure from New York, a boy sat in the back, hunched over a book. However, he wasn't reading it. His mind raced with what had just happened. _He walked into their apartment and nearly stumbled over a suitcase. __What the heck?__ he thought. Bending down, he noticed a note. __**Jess, I'm through with you. You're too much trouble**__, it said. A look of pain flashed across his face, but he quickly hid it. Then, he grabbed his suitcases and walked out._ Jess Mariano sighed heavily. _How could she do this to me? I'm her kid_, he thought. But maybe it was for the best. It wasn't like her new boyfriend was a prince. Too soon for the boy's liking due to his racing mind, they had arrived in Stars Hollow. With another sigh, he gathered up his things and got off the bus. Then, uncertainly, he started walking through the town. He had heard his mother talk about her father's hardware store, which his uncle had turned into a diner. So now all he had to do was find it. Struggling with his suitcases, he continued walking. As he worked around the diner, Luke watched as the kids sat together talking softly. Just then, a cell phone rang. Luke pointed to the sign.

"Understood," Tristin accepted, getting up as he answered the phone. "Hey, Dad," he greeted.

"Tristin Rufus DuGray!" everyone heard as the boy hurried outside.

"Oh, that sounds bad," Paris winced.

"Rufus?" the others chorused.

"That doesn't leave this group, you got that?" Paris snapped.

"No worries," Rory assured. Lane, Dean, Madeline, and Louise made similar promises. A few minutes later, Tristin walked back in.

"Sorry, Mare. I gotta go. Dad's blowin' a gasket. Apparently, I was supposed to be at some stupid business function of his today," he apologized with a roll of his eyes.

"Let me guess: he decided not to give you the memo until now?" Paris surmised.

"Got it in one, Gellar," Tristin confirmed.

"We should probably be going too, but---" Madeline hesitated.

"No, it's fine. You guys have been great. I don't want you to get into trouble though," Rory assured.

"We'll call you later, Rory," Louise promised.

"Do you have---" Rory started to ask.

"It's in the directory," Paris interrupted.

"Thanks," Rory told them.

"Later, Mary," Louise called.

"Louise!" Rory laughed.

"What's with them calling you 'Mary'?" Dean wondered.

"It's a Chilton thing," Rory stated. Just then, Luke froze.

"Luke, is everything okay?" Lane asked.

"Jess," the older man said. They turned to see the boy, who was standing in the doorway.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I know in a lot of other fictions, Tristin's middle name is Janlen after his grandfather, but I don't recall them ever mentioning it in the series, so I went with a different one instead.


	6. Morning Sickness And Old Habits

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino, the WB, and the CW. I only own the plot.

After closing early, Luke led Jess up to the room above the diner.

"What's going on here, Jess?" he demanded.

"Talk to Mom," was all he would say. With a sigh, the man went downstairs and dialed a number. "Liz?" he asked. "Hey, did you know that Jess---" his question was cut off as his sister said something. "You threw him out!? Liz, it's your son!" he exclaimed, causing the boy to come to the middle of the stairs out of curiosity. He fell silent. "What are you on, Liz?" he demanded Jess blanched as he faintly heard his mother start screaming. _Man, she always did have a nice set of lungs_, he thought to himself. He saw his uncle's face darken, an action that usually sent him running, but somehow knew that this time was different. After a few minutes, Luke just hung up while the woman was in mid-rant.

"Well, that's just great," the man huffed.

"So now you know," Jess said dryly. Luke spun around.

"Yes. And I have to say, I'm not happy with my sister," the man confirmed.

"Well, things were gettin' dicey there anyway, so…" Jess shifted on his feet nervously.

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want," his uncle assured him. Jess nodded curtly. Then, "So, uh…who was the dark-haired girl at the counter clutching the coffee?" Luke chuckled at Jess' description of Rory.

"That's Rory Gilmore," he answered.

"She's cute," Jess commented.

"She's dating someone," Luke told him. Jess just narrowed his eyes. The Rory girl was cute. Of **course** she'd be dating someone.

"I'm tired," was all he said out loud, and then went to the bed upstairs. Luke sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't know what to do. Liz had done a lot of stupid things in the past, but this certainly took the cake. With a sigh, he went upstairs, and up to the room. Hearing the footsteps, Jess halfway woke up, but went back to sleep. It was just his uncle. The next morning, he woke up to the smell of food. _What the? What is that? That smells good_, he thought to himself. He got dressed and went downstairs where he found the girl from the previous day.

"Hey. You're Rory, right?" he asked.

"Ah, Luke told you," she surmised.

"Yeah. What can I get you?" Jess questioned.

"Just some water and toast. My stomach's feelin' a bit jouncy," Rory answered.

"You feelin' okay?" Luke asked in concern.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine," Rory assured. Jess looked from his uncle to the girl as his uncle got the requested items. What was going on here? Presently, the door opened and a Korean girl and a tall boy walked up and sat next to her.

"Hey, how you doin'?" the boy questioned.

"Okay," Rory responded, taking slow bites of her toast. A few bites later, she pushed the food away.

"Oh, not feelin' too good, huh?" the tall boy asked sympathetically.

"It'll pass," Rory responded.

"Come on, let's get you on the bus," the Korean girl suggested.

"Okay," Rory agreed. The tall boy grabbed her backpack and she let herself by led off by her friends.

"What's going on there?" Jess wondered.

"It's not my place tell you," Luke answered.

"Well, how come those two were treating Rory as if she was made of glass?" Jess persisted.

"Like I said, it's not my place to tell you," Luke repeated. Then, "You can stay home today, but I'm going to give Stars Hollow High a call and see if I can get you enrolled."

"Whatever," Jess sighed. _Hey, at least I don't have to go to school_, he thought to himself. On the bus, Rory sat in between Dean and Lane.

"So, morning sickness?" Dean questioned.

"Yeah, it's the pits. I didn't think it'd hit so soon though," Rory answered.

"Well, just take it one day at a time, and my mom's still praying," Lane commented. Rory smiled.

"Tell her 'thanks'," she said.

"Will do," the other girl promised. When they got to their stop, the two got out and Rory was alone for the rest of the ride. When Rory proposed riding some of the way alone, Dean and Lane had objected, not wanting her to have to be by herself. However, she had insisted, stating it was the only way she could start to heal. With a sigh, the girl pulled out a book. Soon, she was lost in her own little world. Before she knew it, the bus had stopped in Hartford. With a sigh, Rory put her book away, slipped her backpack on, and walked down the steps to the entrance of Chilton where Tristin, Paris, Madeline, and Louise were waiting.

"Hey," they greeted.

"You feelin' okay, Mare? You're lookin' a little---" Tristin started to say.

"Morning sickness," Rory quickly interjected, heading into the school, the others by her side.

"So soon?" Madeline queried.

"Yeah, I know. That's what I said," Rory agreed.

"So, who was the guy yesterday? He was hot," Louise commented.

"Shut up, Louise," Paris snapped. Why did she have to say that? A vision of the boy's dark hair and intense brown eyes flashed in her mind. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She was going to Harvard for goodness sake, she didn't have time for boys!

"I don't know, and I don't really care," Rory answered.

"Yeah, don't you think she's got enough on her mind?" Tristin added.

"Well, I know she's got a lot on her mind, I was just saying," Louise responded.

"Well, don't," Paris snapped again, causing the others to look at her strangely.

"Can we just get to class please?" Rory requested.

"Of course," Madeline agreed. With that, they headed towards their next class.

"Hey, Tristin!" a voice called. The boy turned around.

"Hey, Duncan. Hey, Bowman," he greeted, walking up to them.

"When did those three become so chummy?" Rory wondered.

"Beats me. I thought he had distanced himself from those clods earlier this year," Louise commented.

"Apparently not," Madeline chimed in. She quickly followed Madeline and Rory into the classroom. Paris glanced back at the three boys conversing and frowned.

"No good can come of this," she muttered before walking into class.


	7. New Project And New Attitude

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to the WB, the CW, and Amy Sherman-Palladino. I am now integrating the plot of "Runaway Little Boy" and will be using some lines, though there will be some differences, such as the actual day of the play. By now, Rory's starting to show a bit and Rory never tried to set Paris and Tristin up.

TWO MONTHS LATER

Rory walked up to her locker, spun the dial, and put away the books that she didn't need.

"How are you feeling?" She jumped and turned to see Madeline.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"It's all. And I'm fine," came the response.

"So, did the police ever find the guy who---" Madeline started to ask.

"No. They---they actually stopped searching for him weeks ago. They said that there wasn't really anything they could do since I couldn't give them a good description and the fact that nothing came up when they ran the DNA," Rory interjected.

"Oh, that stinks," Madeline said bitterly.

"Tell me about it. The search only lasted this long because of Grandma and Grandpa. They've been really supportive through everything," Rory agreed.

"What about your dad?" Madeline wondered.

"Mom called him and he was very concerned, but apparently he's trapped wherever he is, and can't here," Rory answered.

"That **really** stinks," Madeline commented.

"You said it, sister-friend," Rory agreed. Their conversation came to a lull as Paris and Louise walked up.

"How you feelin', Gilmore?" Paris asked.

"Fine, thanks," Rory answered.

"Well, well, well, look who's back from suspension," Madeline said suddenly. The girls turned to see Tristin talking and laughing with Duncan and Bowman.

"What was he suspended for this time?" Rory wondered.

"He, Duncan, and Bowman stripped Mr. McCaffey's car and put it back together in the science building hallway," Louise answered.

"Well, not them personally, they hired people to do it," Madeline corrected.

"Of course. They wouldn't want to get their hands dirty," Louise stated.

"I don't like that he's hanging out with them," Rory said. Then, she and her friends went into class. Ms. Caldecott immediately began her lecture, and Rory discreetly looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of Tristin, but he never showed up. Rory slumped in her seat. _Tristin, what are you doing?_ she wondered. In the middle of the afternoon, their Shakespearean teacher, Professor Anderson, announced a project: a group of five students would be doing a scene from Romeo and Juliet, and pick an interpretive way to do it. Rory, Paris, Madeline, and Louise were paired up and had the death scene.

"I say we do it in the original Elizabethan theme," Paris declared.

"But we're supposed to do it interpretively," Madeline reminded her.

"Yeah. Why don't we do something like a Western theme? Oooh! I could dress like that girl on that old t.v. show---you know, the one with the bright orange car with an 'O1' and Confederate flag on it?" Louise proposed.

"And have Gilmore here go into premature labor from the stress? No thanks," Paris responded. Madeline and Louise grimaced, but said nothing. "Doing it the classic way will not only be easier on Rory, but it'll be guaranteed to give us an 'A'," Paris continued.

"Okay," Madeline and Louise agreed. Rory said nothing but flashed a small smile at Paris. Just then, Tristin walked in and sat in between Rory and Paris.

"Well, well, well. What brings **you** here?" Louise wondered.

"I was late for class, Professor Anderson didn't put me in a group, and this was the only one that wasn't full of girls that I've dated," Tristin answered.

"Well, lucky us," Louise grinned.

"If you mess this up, I'll kill you," Paris threatened.

"Duly noted," Tristin said seriously. "So, how are we going to do it?" he asked.

"Classical way. Easier on Rory," Paris answered.

"Plus it's sure to get us an 'A'," Rory added.

"All right, then," Tristin said.

"So, where should we practice here?" Louise wondered.

"My mom and dad are out of town. We could use my house," Madeline offered.

"Are you sure they won't mind?" Rory asked.

"Are you kidding me? They---" she cut herself off as Rory's face grimaced in pain and she grabbed her stomach. "Rory, are you okay?" she asked.

"Oooh," she grunted.

"Mare?" Tristin asked as he and Paris each put a hand on her shoulder.

"Oooh, from the way this kid is kicking, I'm pretty sure it's a boy," Rory said.

"You don't know the sex?" Paris asked in surprise.

"I wanted to be surprised," Rory responded. Then, she straightened up. "Whoo. Sorry, guys," she apologized.

"Don't be. You got taken off guard," Louise stated.

"So, we're going to use Madeline's place?" Rory questioned, bringing the subject to the topic at hand.

"Yeah. It'll be fine," Madeline replied. The group continued to talk, handing out assignments and decided that Tristin and Rory would be Romeo and Juliet, Paris would be the friar, and Madeline and Louise would be the two guards. After making plans to meet after school, they went their other classes. After the day was done, the all headed for the entrance.

"Has anyone seen Madeline?" Rory wondered.

"She got a call from her mom. Sounded pretty heated," Louise responded. Almost as soon as she said this, the girl came walking up to them.

"Looks like we can't use my house after all. Apparently, the maid found a couple of insects---mom and dad didn't say what kind---and they're fumigating," she told them.

"Great. Now what?" Tristin wondered.

"I'm sure Ms. Patty will let us use her dance studio," Rory said.

"Okay," the others agreed. Rory then gave them directions.

"Hey, Mare, you wanna ride with me?" Tristin offered.

"Sure. And it's **Rory**," Rory emphasized. he chuckled and handed her his cell phone.

"Why don't you call Dean and tell him what's going on," he suggested as they sat in the car and buckled themselves.

"Good idea," she agreed, and did so as he started the engine.

"Rory?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, it's me. Paris, Tristin, Madeline, Louise, and I got partnered up for a scene of Romeo and Juliet for a Shakespeare class, and we were gonna rehearse at Madeline's place, but her house is being fumigated and---" Rory began to say.

"I'll talk to Ms. Patty," Dean interrupted.

"Dean, Tristin's Romeo," Rory told him.

"I kinda figured," Dean chuckled.

"And I'm Juliet," Rory continued. There was silence. "Dean?" she prompted.

"Which scene?" he asked.

"The death scene," she answered.

"So, there's a kiss," he surmised.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"And it's just for the play?" he checked.

"Yes, the kiss is only for the play," she assured. Tristin looked at her.

"You want me to talk to him?" he offered. She put a finger up in the 'wait a minute' sign.

"Okay. I trust you guys," her boyfriend stated.

"Thank you," Rory said.

"See you soon," Dean told her. They hung up and Rory handed Tristin back his phone.

"Everything okay?" he checked.

"Yeah. He trusts us. And he'll talk to Ms. Patty," she replied.

"Who's Ms. Patty?" Tristin answered.

"Dance instructor. I should warn you: she's kind of flirty," Rory told him.

"Well, if she's cute---" Tristin started to say.

"Tristin, she could be your mother," Rory interrupted. The boy made a face.

"Yikes," he said. Rory chuckled. About half an hour later, they all arrived in Stars Hollow, where Rory led them to Ms. Patty's dance studio.

"Hello? Ms. Patty?" Rory questioned.

"Is...anybody in here?" Tristin added.

"We **do** have a schedule here!" Paris called. Louise elbowed her, resulting in a glare from her friend.

"Rory, darling! There you are!" Ms. Patty said, suddenly appearing in the studio. She lit a cigarette and looked Tristin over. "My, my, my. Who is this?" she queried.

"Ms. Patty, this is Tristin. Tristin, this is Ms. Patty," Rory introduced them.

"It's very nice to meet you, Ma'am," Tristin stated, holding out his hand.

"What a gentleman," Ms. Patty commented, taking his hand and shaking it. "You know, handsome, if you were a few years older or if I was many years younger…" Tristin's face began to flush and he quickly dropped his hand from hers.

"Ms. Patty, don't you think you should wait until after his third visit to scare him off?" a voice teased. They turned to see Dean.

"Where's Lane?" Madeline asked.

"Bible study," Dean answered.

"Well, I'll leave you kids alone. Lock up when you're done," Ms. Patty requested. "Dean, you're looking spiffy as usual. Bye, Sugar," she continued.

"Goodbye, Ms. Patty," Dean said as she walked out.

"Wow," Louise commented.

"Okay, let's get to work," Paris instructed. Dean settled back and watched them. He had to chuckle at the idea of Paris being the friar. Then, it came time for the final scene.

"Here's to my love," Tristin said. He pretended to take a drink. "O true apothecary, thy drugs are quick," he commented in a surprised voice. "Thus, with a kiss, I die." He placed a chaste kiss on Rory's lips and then carefully laid himself on top of her. Almost immediately, they heard applause. Tristin removed himself from on top of Rory and the Chilton group turned around to see Dean.

"You guys nailed it. You'll be great," he assured.

"Thanks," Rory smiled. Just then, they heard the sound of a pager. Tristin gave a nervous chuckle and quickly checked it.

"I---I gotta go," he said.

"Duncan and Bowman?" Rory asked.

"Well, yeah," Tristin said.

"Tristin, they're bad news," Rory said.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Mare," he smirked.

"Tristin!" the girl exclaimed sharply.

"Look, I gotta go, okay? Don't worry. I'll make it," he assured. Then, he walked out.

"Oooh!" Rory seethed.

"Don't stress. It's not good for the baby," Madeline reminded her.

"Yeah, and besides, anyone dumb enough to hang around Butch Cassidy and the Sun**dunce** Kid deserves whatever they get," Paris added.

"Whatever. But if he insists on hanging out with them, I'm done with him. I don't want that around my kid," Rory told them. With that, she walked out of the dance studio, leaving her friends behind.


	8. Two Types Of Guys

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino, the WB, and the CW. I only own the main plot. Once again, I use some lines from "Runaway Little Boy" as well as a variation of a speech Haley gave Nathan at the beginning of One Tree Hill season five.

The next morning at Chilton, Rory got her things from her locker in preparation for her first class. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tristin talking with Duncan and Bowman. With a huff, she concentrated on her locker. When she had the things she needed, she headed for class, where Paris, Madeline, and Louise were already sitting down.

"Have you seen Tristin?" Madeline queried.

"Who cares about him?" Rory snapped. She sat down and got her things ready.

"Which means he's with Duncan and Bowman," Louise muttered to her friend, who nodded.

"Well, you can't blame her for being mad. He's acting like a total idiot," Paris snapped under her breath. Then, she also started getting out her belongings. Tristin walked in.

"Hey, girls," he greeted.

"Hey, Tristin," Madeline and Louise chorused.

"Tristin," Paris acknowledged dourly. He frowned. _Okay. Somethin's crawled up her butt again_, he thought. However, he mentally shrugged it off. Her mom was probably just giving her a hard time again. That always put her in a bad mood for a while. It'd probably wear off by lunch.

"Hey, Mary," he greeted, turning to the girl. There was no response. "Mare?" he asked. Again, he received no answer. He touched her on the shoulder, but she jerked out of his touch. His brow furrowed. _What's wrong with __**her**__?_ he wondered. Why was she being so cold? However, he had no time to wonder due to the teacher coming in. Tristin quickly took a seat as the lecture started. He'd just ask her what was up in between classes. However, she didn't give him a chance. Throughout the morning, he noticed her deliberately going out of her way to avoid him. Finally, at lunch, he cornered her at the lunch line.

"So, what's going on with you, Mary?" he questioned. She ignored him. "Hey, will you talk to me?" he demanded, turning her around and causing her to drop her tray. She scoffed and turned to get another try. "Rory, will you please just tell me what I've done to make you so angry?" he pleaded.

"If you're feeling down, why don't you go talk to your new best friends?" she snapped. He sighed.

"This is about Duncan and Bowman?" he questioned. "Just what exactly is your problem with them?" he demanded.

"They make me not like you," she told him.

"What?" he asked. _She doesn't even hang out with them. How can they make her not like me?_ he wondered, a bit confused.

"I don't like you when you're around them. You're not yourself," she continued.

"Sure I am," he objected.

"Are you sure about that? Because you're pulling all of these pranks and---" Rory began.

"Hey, I pulled pranks a lot before I started hanging out with them," Tristin interrupted.

"Well, if you did, you didn't get caught. And you've been getting caught a lot. Ergo, they're probably not the best people to be hanging around," Rory argued.

"We're just having a good time," Tristin stated. _I can't believe she's acting like this, though I gotta give her props for the use of ergo_, he thought.

"Well, I don't like you when you 'have a good time'," she told him. He started to respond, but she cut him off. "This version of you doesn't work for me, Tristin. I know you're better than this. You're smarter than them, and you have a lot going for you. But if you want to continue hanging around Duncan and Bowman and get yourself suspended and eventually expelled, go right ahead. Just stay away from me. I don't want to be around the lesser version of you," she continued. With that, she got a new lunch and walked off.

"Rory," he said. "Rory!" he called. With a frustrated growl, he stomped off. _I can't believe her!_ he thought to himself. After lunch, Rory focused on her work and basically ignored Tristin as he tried to talk to her. After the school day, Paris, Rory, Madeline, and Louise went to Stars Hollow to rehearse some more at Rory's house.

"Where's Tristin?" Dean asked when they came in.

"Busy hanging out with Dumb and Dumber," Rory answered angrily.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Two guys at school---Duncan and Bowman. Tristin's been hanging with them and getting suspended a lot," Paris explained.

"And Rory's not too happy with that," Dean realized.

"Exactly," Madeline confirmed.

"Well, since Tristin's not here, you can do Romeo," Paris told him.

"Um, okay," Dean agreed nervously.

"You can borrow my script," Louise told him, leaning towards him flirtatiously.

"Hey! He **is** my boyfriend," Rory reminded her.

"Right. Sorry," Louise apologized. Dean cleared his throat as Louise reached into her backpack, pulled out the script, and handed it to him.

"We'll take it from the scene where Romeo discovers Juliet supposedly dead," Paris instructed. They went into the living room and Rory and Dean got into place. Dean knelt by the couch.

"A dateless bargain to engrossing death," Dean started. He pantomimed holding up a vial. "Come, bitter conduct. Come, unsavory guide. Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark," he recited. "Here's to my love!" He mimed drinking. "O true apothecary, thy drugs are quick!" he stated. "Thus, with a kiss, I die," he finished, and gently lay on top of Rory.

"Wow. That was even better than Tristin," Louise commented.

"I got goose bumps," Madeline added as Dean quickly straightened up.

"Okay, let's run this whole thing again," Paris commanded. The group groaned, but did as she ordered. When they were finally done, they headed over to Luke's for dinner. As Luke served some of the other customers, Jess came out to take their orders and Paris found herself staring at him.

"Can I help you?" he asked rudely.

"Sorry. Just give me a burger and a diet coke," she ordered. He wrote down the order.

"I'll have a chicken sandwich and a lemonade," Louise said.

"A cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake," Madeline requested.

"I'll have the same," Dean added. Jess quickly wrote down the orders. "And what about you?" he asked Rory.

"I'm not very hungry. I'll just have a cheeseburger with lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, and bacon," she told him.

"You got it," he assured.

"Oh! Can I get Tabasco sauce with whipped cream on it as well?" she quickly added. The group froze.

"Ohhhh. Gilmore, that's gross," Paris finally told her.

"Sounds good to me," Rory defended herself.

"Uh---yeah. Yeah, that's---that's coming right up," Jess stammered. He quickly backed away into the kitchen. He gave the orders to Caesar who wrinkled his nose at Rory's order, but made no comment. Jess came back out.

"Your orders will be here soon," he told them.

"Lovely," Louise commented. He ignored her and leaned in towards Rory.

"So, you like strange food combos, huh?" he asked.

"Not usually. I just got a craving though," she answered.

"Really? Well, if you ever get another craving, just tell me and I'll see if I can't oblige," he said, taking her hand.

"Look, I won't deny that you're good-looking," she began, pulling her hand away.

"Hey!" Dean interjected anxiously.

"And maybe under different circumstances, I'd be interested," Rory continued.

"Wait, what?" Dean questioned.

"But it's not different circumstances, and I'm not interested. I just have too much to deal with and don't have time for a stupid triangle," Rory told finished. Jess stared at her, trying to calm his conflicting emotions. What had just happened here? Why had he been turned down? However, before he could voice these questions, the group's orders arrived and they began eating. Presently, they heard a car approaching.

"What the heck?" Luke asked. Rory, Dean, Paris, Madeline, and Louise turned in their seats.

"Who do you think it is?" Rory asked.

"It better not be one of the other groups coming to spy on us," Paris snapped.

"I somehow doubt someone would be **that** desperate," Louise retorted, causing Dean to let out a small laugh. The door opened and the whole group froze.

"Tristin," Rory said. "What---what are you---" she stammered as he walked up.

"I'm so sorry, Rory. I was stupid," the boy apologized. "I don't want to be someone you can't count on. Our friendship's too important to me. I don't want to be a lesser guy," he told her. She glanced at the group, who nodded eagerly.

"Well, then, welcome back…Romeo," she responded. Tristin laughed, and sat down by Louise.

"So, what are you eatin', Mare?" he wondered.

"A cheeseburger with lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, bacon, Tabasco sauce, and whipped cream," was her answer.

"Ohhhhh! That's nasty, Mare!"


	9. The Good Out Of The Bad

DISCLAIMER

Gilmore Girls belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino, the WB, and the CW. I only own the plot. Once again, some lines from "Runaway Little Boy" are used. There's a time jump in the middle of the chap. Sorry for any confusion that results. And because they've been hanging out together, the group's shared phone numbers.

The next Monday, Rory, Tristin, Paris, Madeline, and Louise quickly got ready for their scene and then waited in the wings.

"So, did you hear about Duncan and Bowman?" Louise questioned as they convened in the hall.

"No. What happened?" Rory asked.

"Yanked out," Louise reported.

"What? Why?" Madeline wondered.

"Apparently, they were caught rifling through Bowman's dad's safe, and their parents pulled them out of Chilton, and sent them each to some sort of wilderness school," Louise responded.

"How do you know these things?" Paris wondered.

"I have my ways," Louise grinned.

"I'm sure you do," Paris deadpanned.

"Well, I'm just glad I came to my senses before I got into real trouble. My dad said one more prank and I was being sent to military school," Tristin commented. The group grimaced.

"Man, did **you** dodge a bullet," Rory stated.

"Hear, hear," Tristin agreed.

"I wonder where that expression came from. Dodge a bullet," Madeline said. Then, "Awww. Now that's gonna bug me all night." Before her friends could reply, Lorelai, Dean, Sookie, and Lane walked up.

"Oooh! She looks like a princess! Doesn't she look like a princess?" Sookie squealed.

"Yeah. She looks beautiful," Dean agreed somewhat breathlessly.

"Mom made the dress," Rory explained.

"Not to mention the kid inside," Lorelai pointed out.

"Hello, gross," Rory chided.

"I'm just saying," Lorelai responded. Tristin rolled his eyes at the banter.

"Oh, Henry's up next!" Lane said.

"So, does your mom know you're here?" Dean checked.

"Yeah, she came with," Lane answered.

"Really?" Lorelai asked in confusion.

"Yeah, I finally told her about him. There was dancing in the Kim house…followed by a **lot** of praying. But initially there was dancing," Lane stated.

"**Really**?" Rory questioned, intrigued.

"So, how do I look?" Lane wondered.

"You look great," Rory assured, and the girl took off. After Henry's scene, came Rory's. Tristin sat beside Rory.

"A dateless bargain to engrossing death," he began. "Come, bitter conduct. Come, unsavory guide. Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark," he said passionately. "Here's to my love!" He acted as if drinking from the vial he held. "O true apothecary, thy drugs are quick! Thus, with a kiss, I die!" Then, he gently lay upon Rory. After their scene, they quickly went backstage.

"You guys were great," Dean told them.

"Thanks," they all said.

"Okay, I'm hungry," Rory said.

"Of course you are," her friends chorused. With a laugh, they all headed out.

7 MONTHS LATER

Rory walked down the halls of Chilton with Paris, Tristin, Madeline, and Louise flanking her. Madeline and Louise talked about the latest fashions, Paris was busy scribbling something in a notebook and Tristin was busy scoping out girls while talking with Rory.

"So, Luke finally asked your mom out, huh?" he asked.

"Yep. I gotta say, it was about time," she answered. Summer ran up to Tristin and placed her hands on his hip.

"Hey, Tristin," she flirted.

"You're kidding, right?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Come on, we had fun, didn't we?" she queried.

"Summer, that was like, a year ago," he reminded her. Summer fake-pouted and then sprinted away.

"I think someone will get over their heartbreak just fine," Rory quipped. Tristin laughed. Then, Rory's face grimaced in pain.

"Mary?" Tristin asked in concern.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it," Rory dismissed. She continued on her way. Then, her face twisted again. "Or not," she griped.

"How close are the contractions?" Paris asked.

"Oooh! Close enough," Rory winced.

"Come on, we'll take my car," Tristin stated.

"I'll call your mother," Paris said, and then did so. Seeing them rush out, one of the teachers started to scold them, but stopped when she heard Rory's cry.

"I'll go tell Headmaster Charleston," she assured them, and went off to do so. The girls helped Rory to Tristin's car, and the boy drove to Hartford Memorial, where Rory was wheeled into the delivery room. Minutes later, the Tristin was joined by Luke and Lorelai.

"How is she?" Lorelai asked frantically.

"She was wheeled in there about ten minutes ago," Tristin responded. Lorelai nervously rubbed her hands on her jeans. Suddenly, they heard the sound of clacking heels down the hallway.

"What on Earth?" Lorelai wondered. Her question was soon answered as her parents appeared.

"Lorelai! Hanlin called us! Said a teacher stated Rory was rushed out of the school seeming to be in pain," Emily told her as a nurse walked up.

"Would you like to wait in the delivery room?" she queried.

"Yes," everyone except for Tristin answered.

"Uh, I don't know if I can handle that," he admitted.

"That's fine. It's not for everyone," she told him. The adults went in to find Rory screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Oooooh, baby. I know the feeling," Lorelai sympathized, kneeling down and smoothing her daughter's hair back. Luke, Emily, and Richard watched as the young mother whispered soothing words in her daughter's ear.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she screamed. Tristin winced. _That sounds bad_, he thought to himself. He hoped it didn't take long otherwise people would think someone was getting murdered in there. However, his hope was unfounded. Hours later, after Paris, Madeline, Louise, Dean and his family, Lane and her parents, and Jess had shown up, they all finally heard a baby cry and nurse came out to tell them that they could go in.

"Congratulations, Ms. Gilmore, you have a healthy baby boy," the doctor told her as the others came into the room.

"I knew it was a boy," Rory grinned.

"Do you have a name?" Jess wondered.

"Yes. I have the perfect name," Rory answered.

"What's that?" Dean wondered.

"Lucas Dean Gilmore. Luke for short," Rory replied. Luke had to swallow the lump that had taken up residence in his throat.

"Hey, Lucas, say 'hi' to your family," she told him softly, as she contentedly cradled her son in her arms. Who could've known that such a violent act would lead to the most precious gift in the world?

THE END

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I wanted to add in the others at first, but it didn't seem realistic. I wasn't sure if teens were allowed in delivery rooms during labor, which is why I didn't put Tristin in there with the others at first. I know delivery times vary, I know some can be many hours, and some can be very few hours. If you or someone you know is raped, contact the RAINN national hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).


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